Washing-machine



(No Model.)

J. W. SPRUNG. i i WASHING MACHINE.

N0. 601,484. Patented Mar. 29

A'rnNT Prior.-

JOHN W. SPRUN G, OF READING, OHIO.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,484, dated. March29, 1898. Application filed December 3, 1896. Serial No. 614,341. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. SPRUNG, acitizen of the United States,residing at Reading, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and Ido hereby declare the following -to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, reference being had to the annexeddrawings, which form a part of this specification.

The principal feature of my invention comprises a novel combination ofdevices for simultaneously imparting a reciprocating rotary motion andan up-and-down movement to a rubber-shaft of a washing-machine, thedetails of said devices being hereinafter more fully described.

In the annexed drawings, Figure lis a front elevation of awashing-machine embodying my various improvements, portions of the tuband wringer-board being broken away to eX- pose parts that wouldotherwise be concealed. Fig. 2 is a plan of saidmachine. Fig. 3 is avertical section through the upper part of the tub, said section beingtaken from thefront ,to the back of the machine. Fig. 4 is an enlargedhorizontal section of a slotted housing mounted upon the tub-lid. Fig. 5is an axial section of said housing and its attachments, the lid beingomitted. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the housing alone. Fig. 7 is anenlarged plan of one of the hinges wherewith the lid is fastened to thetub-cover. Fig. 8 is an enlarged horizontal section showing a bend of alock-bar engaged vwith a notched shaft of a rubber.

A A' A represent three legs so united near their upper ends byhorizontal bars a a a" as to form a triangular frame for supporting thetub or suds-box B, which box is coupled to said frame by hooks andstaples b, or other convenient fasteners. Secured upon this tub is a xedcover or top C of the segmental shape seen in Fig. 2, the attachment ofthese two parts B O of the machine being rendered very durable by anumber of clamps c. These clamps engage over the top of the cover andextend down a suitable distance on the outside of the tub, as seen inFig. 3, screws or nails being used for keeping them in place.

D and E are leaves of a pair of hinges secured upon the fixed cover O,and D E are complementary leaves secured upon a swinging lid F, thepin'tles d e of these devices being fastened to said leaves D E', butbeing capable of ready withdrawahfrom the other leaves D E.

Projecting vertically from the center of lid F is a tubular housing G,open at bottom, but having at top a cylindrical bore g for the passageof an upriglitshaft, as more clearly seen in Fig. 5. The front wall ofthis housing is pierced with'a V-shaped slot I'I, and the opposite orrear wall has a similar slot H', these slots being usually traversed byantifrictionrollers I I', journaled upon theend bearings j j' of across-head J, the center of the latter l being provided with a Y-shapedslot j", for a purpose that will presently appear. (See Fig. 4.)Furthermore, these cross-head bearings jj have engaged with them curvedbranches k le of an operating-handle K. L is a wire cord or light chainhaving one end attached to this handle, while its other end has a hookZ, capable of being engaged over an extension fm. of a lateral bend 'm'at the upper end of a lock-bar M, carried by the cross-head J. Thislock-bar is vertical, can be turned around either to the rightor left,and is fastened to the cross-head by means of a collar N and nut N', asseen in Fig. 5.

O is a shaft, Y-shaped in transverse section and adapted to be passedthrough the slot j of the cross-head, a disk rubber P being attached tothe lower end of said shaft. p are cleats or ribs on the under side ofthis rubber. Again, one of the webs or ribs of this shaft has a seriesof notches o, with. either one of which is engaged the aforesaid bend m'of the lock-bar M, as seen in Figs. v5 and 8.

R in Fig. 3 is a base-ring'for the housing to rest upon, and r is aneckprojecting down from said ring and serving as a guide for shaft O.

Projecting horizontally from the front upper edge of the tub is a shelfS, whose inner edge S is beveled off so as to shed water into said tub,external brackets T being provided to assist in supporting said shelf.

U is a Vvertical board attached to the front of shelf S and adapted tohave a wringer applied to it in the usual way. u u' are end braces thatconnect the shelf S and wringerboard U to the tub. Consequently theseparts IOO S, U, and u u form a trough within which is collected thewater from the wringing operations. The front edge of lid F is cut awayat f to clear this trough attachment, and directly under the edge ofsaid lid is secured to the tub a cleat V, that prevents the escape ofsuds and steam.

If desired, a bolt W or other fastener may be employed to lock the lidwhen closed.

X X are handles near the top of the tub, and Y is an outlet-plug nearits bottom.

Z in Fig. l is any approved form of ribbed or corrugated tub-bottom,which may be a fixture or it may be detachable from the machine.

The operation of this washing apparatus is as follows: Tub B is rst setupon the triangular frame a a a, and is securely fastened in place bythe hooks b, after which act the lid F is opened and said tub is thencharged with hot suds. The articles to be washed are next put into thetub, and the lid being again closed rubber Pis adjusted either up ordown, according` to the pressure desired. As soon as this adjustment iscompleted the bar M is so turned around as to cause its bend m' toengage with the proper notch 0 of rubbershaft O, it being understood.that the crosshead J now occupies the eXtreme lower ends or convergingpoints of the V-shaped slots I-I H. Hook l is then engaged over theeXtension m of this bend, thereby raising the free end of handle K aboutto the angle seen in Fig. l. The operator then grasps this handle,forces it down, and at the same time works it back and forth, thepressure being sufficient to prevent the bar M disengaging itself fromthe shaft O. Consequently said shaft is securely locked to thecross-head J and must partake of every movement of the latter, and,assuming that the handle K is first swung back, it is evident said headwill ride up the left incline of the front slot H and simultaneouslyascend the right incline of the rear slot H'. Therefore the shaft israised a distance about equal to the height of said slots and describesalmost a quarter of a circle; but when the handle is pulled completelyforward the crosshead first descends one side of the inclined slots andthen ascends their opposite side. Hence it is evident that every fullsweep of the handle raises and lowers the shaft O and its attachedrubber P and causes the latter to have a reciprocating rotary motionwithin the tub, which combined movements agitato the suds verythoroughly and `renders the washing operation an easy and expeditiousone. Again, by mounting a wringer upon a board U at one side of themachine all washed clothes, (itc. can be wrung out quite dry withoutinterfering with the opening of the tub-lid.

The lid can be bodily detached at any time by turning it up to avertical position and then shifting said lid so far to the left as tocause the hinge-pintles cl e to be drawn out of the fixed leaves D E.

Finally, although I have shown and described the leading feature of myinvention as applied to a washing-machine, yet the invention is notlimited to such use, butmay be employed wherever it is desired to imparta simultaneous up-and-down and reciprocating rotary motion to any kindof a device or devices.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of a housing having a pair ofconverging slots; a cross-head traversing them; means for operating saidhead, and a shaft applied to it, for the purpose described.

2. The combination of a housing having a pair of converging slots; across-head traversing them; means for operating said head; and alongitudinally-adj ustable shaft applied to it, for the purposedescribed.

3. The combination of the housing G, having a pair of V-shaped slots H,H', a slotted cross-head J j", traversing them; a notched shaft O 0,passing through the slot-j,- a rotatable lock-bar M, carried by saidcross-head and having a lateral bend m', engaged with one of saidnotches; and a handle K 7c k', that operates said cross-head, in themanner described.

4. A washing-machine including the tub B, having a bottom Z, fixed topC, and hinged lid F; a housing G mounted upon said lid and pierced witha pair of V-shaped slots Hf H'; a slotted cross-head J j", traversin gthem; a notched shaft O o, passing through the slot j, and having arubber P p attached to it; a rotatable lock-bar M carried by saidcrosshead, and having a lateral bend fm engaged with one of saidnotches; and a handle K 7c k', that operates said cross-head, in themanner described, and for the purpose stated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. SPRUNG. Witnesses:

JAMES I-I. LAYMAN, JOHN C. ROGERS.

IOO

